Chapter X, AKA epilogue: When All's Said and Done:
'All said and done', Ian muses, pondering on his actual life: 'this could be way worse'.
He's not having a bad life, at all: he's dating his dream girls for a few months, and they have already gone through the ritual of the first arguing sessions, which can't be really called 'fights', since that would be way too much a strong word to describe what happened.
He's told Valeryia he couldn't believe his luck, or just that he was awake, because, after the Abbey, dating a goddess sounded way too unrealistic. This has triggered Valeryia into bursting in tears, as Ian found out that the poor, beautiful girl had a very low, very terrible self-esteem. Apparently, abusive parents and street life tends to do poor to your mental health, and he has had her promise him to go visit a doctor every once in a while, to chat about this. He can understand if Valeryia has thought very little and very low about herself in the past, but he's having none of that now.
"You're a goddess, whether you see it now, or not" he's told her.
Guess what? She's cried some more, not believing he was really in her life.
He's told her, he could definitely understand and share the feeling.
They're good now, having faced this first rock together. He keeps making music, mainly thinking of her, and the way she would dance to the music he produces. This has had the only negative consequence of his music taking a very sensual, even sexual turn for a short period, but he's back on track even from that point of view, now.
He keeps working at the club where she keeps dancing, but with the difference that she spends the majority of the nights at the school, in Ian's room.
The Demolition Boys have all insisted that she moved out of her first apartment, anyway, where she had been assaulted. She, being the sensible girl she is, has agreed and promptly changed place, moving in a different area, which also happens to be closer to both the club and the school.
She also very rarely leaves the club without one of the Boys in tail, because, even if they have found out who had sent those men after her, and although this person had been.. persuaded by a very lethal combo of a very pissed off Ian and Bryan not to bother her any longer, well. It never hurts to be more cautious than strictly required, right?
So, Ian's relationship with Valeryia is going supremely well.
He is quite content with his family life, too: his very large family is happy and flourishing, with everyone taken good care of.
Mikail has had his first stage performance, to assist which they have obviously all gone. In general, all the kids have watched their older 'brother' with stars in their eyes for all the performance, some of them even with their mouths hanging open, and Piter and Ivan have spent the entire night grinning with impossible pride. Although, the most involved of them all has been, unsurprisingly, Tala. Ian is sure that he has seen tears swelling the captain's eyes at some point.
The soiree itself has been great, and Mikail, who had played the main character, has been called on the stage by shouts of bravo and people clapping at least ten times. At the last round, he has been asked if he wanted to call on the stage his teacher as well. What many have not been expecting, was that the kid has walked by the five teachers of the ballet school, and has gone straight to where Tala was sitting, bringing him up the stage, hands in hands. The Madame of the school, who Ian has seen in that occasion for the first time, has smiled benevolently at both the boys, and handed the flowers to both.
Obviously, Bryan and Ian has yet to finish mocking Tala for that.
Things are going good, also for the rest of the children. Malyshka has solved Vanya and Lukas problems, apparently, when she told them very straightforwardly that she has no intention of dating one of them, especially before being at least eighteen.
This has obviously gained Babygirl a very big grin from Bryan. Who, in turn, has been given deep scowls from both Tala and Spencer.
As Spencer said: "Really, Bryan? Eighteen? Do you want my boys to die of blue balls?"
The reaction of the Falcon to the topic of sex been raised in relation to 'his' babygirl has been… unpleasant, to say the least. Let's just say that it has been a good thing that the one triggering his wrath has been Spencer, who was a big boy, and could take everything the other threw at him.
They also managed to put Tala to some forced rest, just as the doctor has suggested. Who could have imagined that young, adorable Nikolay would turn out to be such a sneaky little shit? He personally managed to drag Tala to the couch, just by raising his arms and demanding to be cuddled. Bryan has been slightly offended, the first time.
"Soooo, I take it things are going good, with your girl, uh?"
"You can make fun of me for all you want, Bryan. I'm not telling you details"
"Aww, come on! I even said please!"
"Nu-uh" Ian replies, shaking his head: "I'll bite my tongue off, before telling you just one tiny detail. And, for your information, yes, this is precisely my revenge for when I was asking, and you never told me one thing about you and Tala" he adds, addressing his team member and friend with an air of fake superiority.
Bryan looks taken aback at this, and for a few seconds gapes at Ian, mouth hanging open. Then he closes it, and in his eyes appears a light of mischief, accompanied by the deep awareness that, should he be caught in the act of this offer, he will be probably even more than castrated.
"Well.." he starts, sensibly lowering his voice to barely a fistful of decibel: "I could tell them now…?"
Ian's head snaps upwards so fast that for a second it physically hurts. Then he opens his mouth, going for a shout, but it dawns on him that his balls might incur in the same, tragic end of Bryan's, should a certain redhead captain of theirs ever hear them. So he lowers his voice, too, and, for good measure, also casts a careful glance around.
"Have you lost your fucking mind?!" he whisper-shouts: "First, if Tala hears you, we're both dead. Both, Bryan! And I'm not exactly ready to die for the mere knowledge of thedetails of your sexual adventures!"
To that, Bryan just answers raising a single, very blond eyebrow.
"Ok, well, not to ready- Ian hastily amends: "and, that's beside the point. You didn't tell me when I wanted to know! You left me hanging for…" he goes cross eyed for a second while he counts mentally the months: "some time" he finally decides: "No way I'm telling you details now!"
Bryan pouts.
Literally pouts.
Ian's reaction is of pure horror. He just gapes at the tall blond blader, brain thinking that, evidently, his big blue eyes utterly must be unable of processing the image they're presented with in the correct way. This is Bryan, for god's sake! He can't pout, as in, by definition!
He shakes his head slightly, and his voice falters a little bit: "Y..You've definitely spent too much time with Babygirl"
"Actually, I took this from Nikolay- Bryan carelessly answers, adding a dazzing smile that is definitely way too much for poor Ian's brain.
"Oh my god, do they know they've created a monster?"
Yes, he's obviously very happy to ascertain that one of his best friends here is finally free (or feels more free, at least) of the demons he's been plagued by during the time at the Abbey and after, but. Seriously? Do the kids even know what they've encouraged?!
"I think they do" is Bryan answer, still with that dazzling smile of his.
Ian shakes his hands in the air between them, as in, in front of his face and Bryan's chest.
"Ok, no. This is way too much. This evil plan of theirs must be stopped, or I'll be damned"
"You'll be in good company then. Tala said the same thing" Bryan lets casually drop, and then winks at him with such a heavy dose of mischief that it's seriously, way too dangerously bordering on leering: "Of course, it seem that he couldn't do much more beside complaining that first time, though"
"Oh my god!" Ian winces, and covers his poor, innocent eyes with his hands. Unfortunately, this can't really save him from what he's heard, nor can it save his just as poor, just as innocent, ears from hearing the words and let them echo in his brain.
"Why isn't brain bleach a thing?" he whines, hands still firmly pressed on his face.
"Hey" Bryan jokes: "you've been asking for details for months, by now. And you're scandalized by such an innocent pun?"
"Which pun?" a voice pipes in.
Ian freezes, and his hands are slowly lowered, revealing deer-caught-in-the-headlights fear-stricken blue eyes, that equally reflect the terror in pale green eyes.
Bryan, frozen on the spot, just lowers his head, and tries to deepen the charming smile on his face. The result would be devastating, if it wasn't for the uneasiness that shines a bit too clearly from his eyes. Ian wonders how long will they live, after the voice of their redhead captain has interrupted their friendly bantering.
"Hey, Tala! Fancy seeing you here!"
Ian mentally facepalms himself.
'Really?! Bryan, you stupid moron, you've signed our death!'
Ian spins and sees one of Tala's (annoyingly) perfect red eyebrow rise in incredulity.
"Really, Bryan?" he deadpans, still looking at the two of them like he demands an answer. And probably getting more and more annoyed by the second at not receiving one, most likely.
Just when Ian's brain is already anticipating images of dreadful future developments for the situation they're in, the unexpected happens. Bryan's grin grows, becoming cheekier and, admittedly, very very handsome: "Yes, darling"
Tala's second eyebrow joins the first, and Ian is sure they're dead, but Tala is chuckling, and shaking his head: "You're a moron" he comments, voice laced with fondness and eyes not leaving Bryan for a second.
Bryan just shakes his shoulders: "Never said the opposite"
Tala scoffs and points his index at him: "Never call me that again, or, charming or not, I'll fucking kill you"
"Is that a promise?"
Ian is not gaping only because he has the slight idea that, by refraining from interfering with the situation, he has more possibility to survive this encounter. And he can't believe what is going on. Is Bryan flirting with Tala? And in front of him?!
Tala chuckles fondly again, shaking his head. The gesture doesn't manage to keep the blushing on his cheeks from Ian's eyes. While the redhead disappears along the corridor, Ian turns, mouth hanging now open like a fish out of water. Bryan is grinning like an idiot, obviously very proud of the achievement just accomplished.
"Did you.. did you just… you've just fooled Tala?!" Ian whisper-shouts, his voice so low that he's basically just mouthing the words.
Bryan wiggles his eyebrow and keeps grinning.
"Looks like I did" he whispers back.
"Oh my god! What has happened to you! What the fuck! I've kept trying to do so for all the time, ever! This is so unfair!"
Bryan chuckles and has the decency of blushing a little bit, but then adds, in a voice very, very low because he's not stupid, and he knows he shouldn't push his luck.. too much.
"You could probably pull the same stunt… if you were taller" he winks.
Ian closes his eyes and groans, swearing at Bryan's words. Because the fucker knows that he has a very vivid, very easily triggered imagination, and he's obviously now pictuirng him. With Tala. In a context like the one Bryan had been through, just a moment before. Only, it's not the Falborg master, the one charming their redhead captain, but Ian himself. And, for all that Tala is unbelievably hot and handsome and physical perfection, Ian can't say he likes having this kind of thoughts for him.
"Bryan" he gags: "I fucking hate you!"
Author's note: That's it, folks! Or, at least, I guess that's it. I'm changing the statu of the story to complete, but I might add something in the future. Or maybe I'll do oneshots, who knows. Thank you for tagging along for the journey (CinnaPai, I obviously am talking about and to you), and alla prossima!